As someone who is not religious and doesn't have any children I went into this with an open mind and even though this was written well and was really quick paced which I found great there was some issues with this as well.

With having the humor throughout making the writer more likable and did make me smile and laugh such as when they clarified that when they meant "Village People" they meant the community and clarified it wasn't the band which which brought us the YMCA. This also made me feel more comfortable as well within the book and liked the way they were bringing the idea of helping others around you. I also thought by having small segments which has quotes from people who missionary moms and children it helped to give more understanding of other people as well and I really appreciated this.

However, there was things within this book which did make me feel uncomfortable and like I didn't want to continue with the book such as when the author calls people who are not religious "Filthy Sinners" which comes across as though she hates people who are not of her faith and calling other Gods "false gods" which I feel alienates other cultures. I do think she could have been more accepting of other beliefs and non-believers to help bring her message across, especially as when it is about how to be better with the community or building better relationships I did think that this done it rather well.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the free, digital ARC copy of this book. I didn't really enjoy this book so much. It is a wonderful book to open up your mother eyes to all of the possibilities around you for ministering to your family and their loved ones. However, it just wasn't what I needed to read at this point in my life.

Even though I am not a mother, I have often wondered how would children affect what the Lord has put on my heart to do. Sadly, our society has tried to exclude mothers from serving the Lord and downplayed their influence in this matter.

So, what did I think about this book? I laughed … and cried. I was encouraged and inspired. It made me realise that we are where we are because God wants us here. His plan is always perfect and we can (and have to) serve Him no matter what mission field He has given us.

Like Shontell, I’ve often want the Lord to tell me exactly what His plan for my life is. The book, however, reminded me that I don’t need to know — He does. I just need to trust that He will guide me.

Wow. That's all I have. Review over. Kidding but I have been trying to write this post for weeks but I can't seem to articulate how much I loved, how much I learned, how many tears I cried and how many times I put the book down because it made me take a look at my life and that hurts, in the best way possible.

Shontell Brewer used her unique, unapologetic, funny, lighthearted and fierce way with words to bring truth to mommas and then she backs it with scripture. How can I ignore that?

When I think about being a missionary I see myself in a place far from home in a culture unlike mine. Missionary Mom showed me a new mission field that I wasn't aware I was already in. I don't need to leave me home or seek a new culture, I need to look at the people in my house. I have 2 kids and I am their mom, their first teacher and the voice they know best. God gave me THESE kids to raise until He takes them back, they are on loan to me. It is my job to make sure that in the time I have them here with me, on Earth, they know where they come from and where they will return and who they truly belong to.



While I was reading Missionary Mom I bounced from feeling like I was rocking this work of the Lord and crying because I can't look myself in the face. Shontell brought the truth and it hurt but I needed it. I need to be intentional with my parenting, the end. I need to understand the importance of being a mom, period. I need to know my purpose in the story the Lord is writing for my kids.

I gave Missionary Mom 5 stars on Goodreads.

I was fortunate enough to be on the launch team for Missionary Mom and watch Shontell give her words to the world. Thank you Shontell!

I was given a pre-released galley via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not required to leave a positive review.

I liked this book! Shontell is humorous and relatable. Her stories and one liners made it feel like I was sitting down with a good friend. Her closing chapters on the purpose God has for our kids and it never being too late to start investing were powerful. Overall though, I did find the book a little simplistic and repetitive.

Parenting is a mission in disguise. The mission field is the home. The missionary is the mom. In a book that packs mission with mothering and parenting with spirituality, we see how faith informs the freedom to let the gospel fill the whole house. Instead of seeing missionary as some individual venturing to foreign lands faraway, we have a missionary who is up close and personal, living under the same roof of the family. Mothering is living with a purpose. Missionary mom is a mother who senses the call of God to the home, to serve the family with purpose, and to leave a legacy of Christ in the hearts of children. The author shares openly and honestly her "mom guilt" as a mother often threatened by lies and unwittingly attempting to fulfill them. Left unchecked, it could lead to anxiety and frustrations who rub off the rest of the family. She compares with other mothers who are exhausted by the need to make everything perfect. She targets the need to produce fruit which leads to chapters on prayer; on exemplary living; on purposeful discipline; on taking time to feed the soul; and on cultivating a village and the children's village. She is also conscious of the fact that there are unmarried moms out there as well as endless to-do lists that could unravel any determination.


My Thoughts
This book is written by a mom for moms struggling to make sense of what it means to live the gospel in the home. Borne out of a need for purpose and a desire to fulfill God's calling, this honest to life book reveals openly the struggles of modern parenting and the determined push to become the best mom one could possibly be to the young children living in the home. If you are looking for a systematic way to become a missionary mom, this book is not for you. If you are looking for a book that describes the meandering thoughts of a mom going through the ups and downs of parenting, this book fits the bill perfectly. For those who had previously been single and well established in their careers, moving back to a home may seem to be most restrictive. Brewer helps us see beyond the four walls of the house toward the four corners of God's purpose for all living in the house.

I feel like the book appears confusing at times, especially the part about comparing missionary with godly mothers. Trying to merge the two is the main goal of this book but it does confuses what a missionary is, what a godly person is, and what mission is all about. Like, isn't mission about proclaiming the Person of God? Perhaps, it is about the thought process of Brewer who is trying her best to do both the work of a missionary as well as being a godly mother. It would have been helpful to define some terms more accurately beforehand. Some questions I have include: What is the difference between a "missionary mom" and a Christian "tiger mom?" What about moms who had to work and parent at the same time? What about moms who had to struggle to make their ends meet? What about those foreign missionaries out in the field who are also moms?

Anyway, this book is a decent attempt to make sense of one's calling as a mother in the home. There are passages about "parental guidance suggested" which provide practical tips about parenting from a Christian perspective. Most useful of all are the chapters about cultivating a village for moms as well as for children. The idea of a missionary in the home can also be extrapolated to being missional in the neighbourhood. Given the way globalization, technology, and how connected the world is today, there is a sense that the mission field is much larger than the four walls of the house.

Shontell Brewer is wife to a fireman and five kids in Northern Nevada. She blogs at shontellbrewer.com in a website she calls "Nonsense at its finest!"

Rating: 3.75 stars of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of Kregel Publications without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.